WINTERING WELL
by Lea Wait
A tragic accident leaves Will without a leg. Certain that he was destined for life as a farmer, Will feels agitated as he watches his brothers and father continue in the life he wanted. He and his sister Cassie decide to spend their winter with their older sister in a nearby city. There Will is able to see beyond what he considered a disability, exploring new career paths. Watching as her brother heals, Cassie is also forced to make some decisions regarding her own future, but life for a young girl in Maine in 1819 offers few options. Each chapter begins with a passage from Cassie’s journal, offering a glimpse at the challenging decisions that face her and her whole family as they move past the tragedy and into the rest of their lives. Authentic historical details enrich the already fine writing. A treasure waiting to be found. (Fiction. 8-12)